Melese peruviana Rothschild

 

 Family: Erebidae

Subfamily: Arctiinae

Tribe: Arctiini

Subtribe: Phaegopterina

Host plants:

  • Erato polymnioides (Asteracae)
  • Miconia sp. (Melastomataceae)

 

 

 

Collection site: Various, Napo Province

 

Female (dorsal view)

 

Female (ventral view)

Photos & Determinations of adults: Suzanne Rab Green
Photos of immatures: CAPEA collections

 

LIFE HISTORY DATA


         
         

Caterpillar common name:


      
 
"Melocoton cabeza naranja"

         
         

Caterpillar behavior & description:


      
The larvae of this species are solitary feeders.

 

Rearing results and development time:

         
 
 

         
         

Host plants:


      

 

  • Erato polymnioides (Asteracae)
  • Miconia sp. (Melastomataceae)


         
         

Parasitoids:


      

 

Predators:

         

Collection sites:

 
Caterpillars were collected inside primary forests, partially reforested pastures and next to roads along an altitudinal transect from 400m (Tena) to 3500m (Papallacta) in the vicinity of the Yanayacu Biological Station and Center for Creative Studies (YBS: S 00° 35.9' W 77° 53.4': 2100 m), 5km west of Cosanga, Napo province of eastern Ecuador.  

 

Voucher locations & numbers:

 
@ American Museum of Natural History : 13945
@ University of Nevada Reno (UNR): n.a.

 

Adult identification status:

Dissections:

 
Compared with type collection @BMNH, collections @ , MNHN
 
No previous dissections by authors or subsequent taxonomists.

 

Original description of adult:

Rothschild, L. W. 1909. Descriptions of some new South American Arctiidae, with notes. Novitates Zoologicae 16: 48.

 

Type locality:

Peru: Carabaya, Santo Domingo.

 

Known distribution range:

ML> DY>